Smooth Like Butter – Audeze LCD-MX4

I’m excited to announce that today we received the new Audeze LCD-MX4 planar magnetic headphones! Audeze makes some of my favorite products on the market, so I’m thrilled to listen and share my thoughts about the newest member of their open-ear family. Here is my Audeze LCD-MX4 review.

Smooth Like Butter – Audeze LCD-MX4 Review

Specifications

Frequency Response: 5 Hz-20kHz, extended to 50kHz

Impedance: 20 ohms

Sensitivity: >130 dbSPL

THD: <1%

Type: over-ear, open-back

Transducer: planar magnetic, 106 mm

Price: $2995.00

In the Box

¼’’ to dual 4-pin mini XLRs

¼’’ to ⅛’’ adapter cable

Hard-shell protective carrying case

Design

Headband

As I take the headphones out of their extremely protective carrying case, I notice right away the headband is bendable. The flexible band is made of carbon fiber. Underneath it is a perforated leather band as well which adds breathable padding. It is light and durable.

Earcups

To my pleasure, the earcups of the Audeze LCD-MX4 are much lighter than other Audeze planar magnetic headphones. The large, circular cups swivel appropriately in their yolks. They fit well over my ears, and I’m confident they will also fit for folks with larger heads and ears.

Earpads

Leather-coated memory foam makes up the thick and cozy earpads. The pads are asymmetrical in thickness, contributing to the angle the headphone sit on the head. Toward the back of the head, the pads are thickest. As the pads reach toward the front of the head, they become thinner.

Sound

Lows

During my first listen on the Audeze LCD-MX4, woah! The low frequencies are thick and creamy, with a light, broad boost around 100Hz. While the frequencies are a little bit cloudy, the headphones are still dynamic. This warm, smooth response is aesthetically pleasing more than accurate, so while I wouldn’t necessarily use these headphones for their precise lows, I would listen to them for an enjoyable experience.

Mids

The mid range is spacious, warm, and smooth. There is a boost around 200Hz as well has 5kHz for added vocal detail. The high mids have the most detail of any frequency range in these headphones, but they don’t seem louder or unbalanced at all. Instead, this detail has the effect of making the vocals have great separation from guitars, strings, keys, and other mid-range heavy instruments. The midrange is dynamic as well, making orchestral music, jazz, and other highly dynamic genres generate full emotional clarity.

Highs

The high frequencies have nice extension, but feel quieter overall than the other frequency ranges. In this way, the Auderze LCD-MX4 reminds me of a ribbon microphone. It produces such a smooth and velvety sound, but is dark in general compared to other headphones.

Soundstage

The soundstage is wide and accurate, especially in the midrange. And while the height performs decently, it is limited because of the politeness of the high frequencies. The height plays to its fullest potential when cymbals crash loudly. Finally, the headphones have a nice sense of depth, although it is less accentuated than other Audeze models like the LCD-X. The midrange is the main contributor to the depth.

Overview

The Audeze LCD-MX4 is smooth like butter. And like a ribbon microphone, it is warm, smooth, and dark overall. It is more comfortable than other Audeze models because its earcups are lightweight in comparison.